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Portrait of Natalia Goncharova by Mikhail Larionov

Portrait of Natalia Goncharova

Mikhail Larionov · 1903

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“This early portrait of artist Natalia Goncharova by Mikhail Larionov offers an intimate look at a foundational figure in Russian avant-garde art, capturing her contemplative presence before their groundbreaking collaborations.”

ABOUT THIS WORK

In this early portrait, Natalia Goncharova, a fellow avant-garde artist and Mikhail Larionov's lifelong partner, gazes directly out from the canvas. Painted in 1903, the work captures her with a directness that hints at the artistic partnership they would forge. Her features are rendered with a soft, almost impressionistic touch, her dark hair pulled back, framing a thoughtful expression. The background is a muted, abstract field of color, allowing her presence to dominate the scene. This painting offers a glimpse into the nascent stages of their relationship and artistic development, before they would go on to pioneer movements like Rayonism and collaborate with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes.

DETAILS
Artist
Mikhail Larionov
Date
1903
Medium
Oil on canvas
ART MOVEMENTS
Der Blaue Reiter
LOOK CLOSER

What to Notice

Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

Portrait of Natalia Goncharova
01

Goncharova's direct gaze, engaging the viewer

02

The soft, diffused brushstrokes in her face and hair

03

The simple, almost abstract background that highlights the figure

04

The subtle blush in her cheeks, suggesting youth and vitality

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THE ARTIST

Mikhail Larionov

1881–1964 · Russian Empire

Pioneered Rayonism in 1913, Russia's first abstract art movement, then designed for Diaghilev's legendary Ballets Russes.

Read Larionov’s full story
MORE FROM THIS ARTIST

Further Works by Larionov

1 / 2
Still Life with Crayfish Still Life with Crayfish 1900 · Museum Ludwig Barber Barber 1907 · Russian Museum Female Passerby Female Passerby 1911 · Ulyanovsk Oblast Art Museum Red and Blue Rayonism (Beach) Red and Blue Rayonism (Beach) 1911 · Museum Ludwig Soldier on a Horse Soldier on a Horse 1911 · Tate Streetcar Streetcar 1911 · Bashkir State Art Museum (Nesterov Museum) Glass Glass 1912 · Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum Jewish Venus Jewish Venus 1912 · Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts
EXPLORE THE MOVEMENT

More from Der Blaue Reiter

See the movement →
Crouching Nude in Shoes and Black Stockings, Back View Crouching Nude in Shoes and Black Stockings, Back View Schiele · 1912 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
KEEP EXPLORING

More works to explore

Beyond Larionov and Der Blaue Reiter: works from the same years.

Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen Same era · 1880s–1910s Frauenkopf vor Sonnenblumen Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1906 · Museum Frieder Burda Carmelina Same era · 1880s–1910s Carmelina Henri Matisse · 1903 · Museum of Fine Arts Boston The Old Guitarist Same era · 1880s–1910s The Old Guitarist Pablo Picasso · 1903 · Art Institute of Chicago Composition with Figures and a Horse Same era · 1880s–1910s Composition with Figures and a Horse Paul Gauguin · 1902 · Nationalmuseum Mont Sainte-Victoire Same era · 1880s–1910s Mont Sainte-Victoire Paul Cézanne · 1904 · Detroit Institute of Arts Charing Cross Bridge, London Same era · 1880s–1910s Charing Cross Bridge, London Claude Monet · 1901 · Art Institute of Chicago Landscape at L'Estaque Same era · 1880s–1910s Landscape at L'Estaque Georges Braque · 1906 · Art Institute of Chicago Consolation Same era · 1880s–1910s Consolation Edvard Munch · 1907 · Munch Museum
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